


Stop The World (I Wanna Get Off With You)

by loominousfish



Category: Dragon Age, Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age Inquisition - Fandom, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Drabble, F/M, Ficlet, Fluff, Romance, soul mark au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-04
Updated: 2015-06-04
Packaged: 2018-04-02 20:10:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4072876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loominousfish/pseuds/loominousfish
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He had always wondered at the words. He could never think of a situation where “fancy” and “titles” could ever be applied to him (although he supposes that he has a title now that he is with the Inquisition, and he supposes that “Knight-Commander” and “Knight-Captain” and even “Ser” count as titles, but he’s never really thought of them as <i>fancy</i>). </p><p>Soul Mark AU, in which Cullen can barely contain himself (but does not bruise a rib hiding it).</p><p>Inspired by the unused dialogue line: "Honestly? I couldn't keep my eyes off you. But we'd only just met."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stop The World (I Wanna Get Off With You)

Cullen feels the words tear through him like a punch to the gut, and even as he’s winded he registers the intensity of her gaze on him, understands the hidden meaning of her words.

_“Fancy titles you’ve got there.”_

He resists the urge to raise his hand to his collarbone, just underneath, where his mark is, raised and black like a fresh tattoo, to run his fingers over the name written in cursive underneath.

He had always wondered at the words. He could never think of a situation where “fancy” and “titles” could ever be applied to him (although he supposes that he has a title now that he is with the Inquisition, and he supposes that “Knight-Commander” and “Knight-Captain” and even “Ser” count as titles, but he’s never really thought of them as _fancy_ ). Branson had once joked that it sounded like something a drunk thug would say outside of a tavern before taking a swing at you, and he and Pa and Mia had laughed for days while Mother tried to hush them, pursing her lips to hide her smile, and ruffling Rosalie’s hair when she asked what they were laughing about. Cullen sends a quiet heartfelt thanks to the Maker that Branson’s jest wasn’t a prediction.

He can’t tear his eyes from her, and he sees the uncertain glances she sneaks his way in between paying attention to his three colleagues. Her hair is somewhere in between red and blonde (strawberry, he thinks it’s called, but in the firelight it reminds him of something closer to the pink rays at dawn), and is even curlier than his own hair is. From what he can tell her eyes are grey–no, green (or both?), and her cheeks have a generous smattering of freckles, interrupted only by a scar located along her jawline. Cullen is easily a head taller than she is, and–

And he snaps himself back to attention, trying to pull away from his excitement. There were more important matters to attend to. Like fixing and containing the Breach, ending the Mage-Templar war, bringing Thedas back to some form of stability…

And yet… he can’t help the overwhelming giddiness, of staggering lightness and euphoria. Cullen has heard of this, of course, has heard other pairs speak of what it was like to find each other. But nothing they had said measured up to what he can only describe as an immense high, of feeling charged, _splendid_. But after the Circle, after Kirkwall, he had never expected to find the person to match the words emblazoned on his skin. Had pushed it out of his mind, hadn’t even thought of it until now. Had convinced himself that he didn't even _want_ to find his soul mate.

There were always more important matters to attend to.

He decides to allow himself this one moment of excitement.

Cullen knows her name even before Cassandra can properly introduce her. Not that they all didn’t know her name already, not with Leliana and her ruthless efficiency in her job. How had he missed it? How had her name not registered? It wasn’t as if Delphine was a particularly common name.

In Ferelden anyway.

A worn memory of Cullen’s boyhood comes to the forefront of his mind, Mia and Branson teasing him about the name when they were younger–”An _Orlesian!_ ” crowing in mock horror.

“This is Lady Delphine Trevelyan, from Ostwick,” Cassandra says.

A Free Marcher.

Cullen can’t keep the small grin from his face. Not an Orlesian. Perhaps he’d write back sooner to Mia than he had planned.

(Half Orlesian, he finds out later. But Mia doesn’t need to know that.

No need to give her more fuel to tease him with.)

**Author's Note:**

> Title from the Arctic Monkeys song, "Stop The World I Wanna Get Off With You"


End file.
